Improved car-brake



TATHAM @L STEGER.

` Car Brake.

Patented Oct. 27, 1868.

.A i "igtluited man BENJAMIN TTI-.IAM AND STEGER, OF NEW'-YORK, N .Y.

' Letters Patent No. 83,422, dated Gotoiber' 27, 1868.

l IMPROVEID CAR-BRAKE.

The Schedule referre to in these Lettera' Patent and making part bf the same.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN TATHAM and J osnrH S'rnenn, of the city, county, and State oi' New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Oar-Brakes and weo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exfct description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specication, in which draw 111g- Figure l represents a longitudinal vertical section of this invention.

Figure 2 is an inverted plan thereof. i Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of car-brakes, the operation of which is based upon a friction-plate, which connects with the brakes, and is placed between two rollers, or between an axle and a roller, so that, when. said rollers are pressed together, the plate is drawn in, and the.` brakes are applied, as fully described in an application of JOSEPH STEGER for a patent, which was allowed, April 9, 1868, but which invention operated only when the wheels of the car revolved in one given direction, so that, in order to provide for each direction, in which the car was to be moved, a double set of plates was necessary.

The object of our invention is to remedy this objec tion, and it consists in the application of a reversingarrangement, in combination with the friction-plate andthe brakes, by which the latter are brought in contact with the wheels, in whatever direction the cars may be moving. p

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the platform of a railroad-car, which is supported by one or two trucks, B B.

In the drawing, we have represented a 'car with two trucks, but our present improvement is also applicable to cars with a single truck, such as are in general use on horse-railroads. l

, Each of the trucks runs on two pairs of wheels, D, which are secured to the axles O 0*.

Opposite the axle C (either below or above) is a' roller, E, which has its ,bearing in a slotted lever, F, that is hinged to a cross-bar, G, of the truck, and the loose end of which is suspended from the brake-rope or chain H.

Between the poller E and the axle C* is placed'a plate, I, the ends of which connect with levers J J', situated at the opposite ends of the car, and secured to the brake-heads K K by means of pivots a, as shown in the drawing.

The connection between the friction-plate and the levers J J is eiiected byrods b b', the 4rod l1 extending from the friction-plate to one end of the lver J, and the rod b to the corresponding end of the lever J', while the opposite ends ofthe levers J J are connected by a rod, o. The lever J connects also with the brakehead K2 the connection being, eiected by rods d (2*,

which are secured to said lever, onl opposite sides of its fulcrum, (see iig. 2,) and, in the same manner, a oonnection is effected between the lever J and-the brakel head K* by rods d dit, which are se ured to the lever J', onopposite sides of its iillcrum. 'f'

The rods d (2*, d d'* are secured to the brake-heads K* `and K**, respectively, bylinks or other means, so, that each rod obtains a certain exibility, the necessity of which will be apparent fromthe description.

p The brake-rope or chain H,-which supports the loose end of the lever F, extends, over roller's f,` to the Windlass at the ends of the oar, orit `may be madeto extend, at one end, to the windlass of thelooomotive or front car', and, at the opposite end, to a hook, fixed firmly in the rear car of the train, so that one and the same rope or chain actson the levers F o all the cars in the train, and so that the engineer or brakeman of the front car is enabledto apply the brake to all the cars ofthe train, commencingwith the rear car, the brake of which willebe first applied, the chain being fast to this car.

When a strain is exerted on the chain, the lever F is raised, and the friction-plate I is clamped between the roller'E and the axle Cd.

If the car moves in the direction of arrow l, marked on it in fig. l, the friction-plate is drawn in by the revolution of the 4axle C* in a direction opposite to said arrow, anda strain is exerted on the lever J through the rod b. This lever, therefore, turns in the direction of arrow 2, fig. 2, and, by the action ofk the rod d, both brake-heads, K"K'*, are drawn together, and the brakes onthe truck B are applied. At the same time the motion of the lever J is transmitted, by the rod c, to the lever J', this lever turns in the direction ofthe arrow 3, and the brake-heads K K* are drawn vtogether by the action-of the rod d, so as to apply the brakes on the truck B simultaneously with those on the truck B.

yield or bend, and, for this reason, we have made them flexible, as previously stated. ,Y

If the car moves in the opposite direction, the brakes are applied by theaction of the rods d* and d', as will be readily understood from the previous explanation.

If our present improvement is applied to a car resting on a single truck, B, the reversingdever J', instead of being applied to the brake-head K', will be applied to the brake-head K4, but the operation of the brake will be precisely the same as above described.

The power required for applying the brakes is delived from the action of the axle and roller E on the friction-plate I, and a comparatively small pressure` exerted on the lever F is sufficient to cause said fric tion-plate to be drawn in with considerable force, so that the brakeman has to expend but very little power to stop a car.

Ifthe chain or rope H extends throughout the whole length of the train, the brakes of all the cars can be means.

We do not conine ourselves to the precise form of apparatus herein described, as it may be varied by the substitution of pulleys or rollers in lieu of levers, or"

by other means which will readily suggest themselves to any practical mechanic, without departing from the substantial originality of our invention, which consists in the a'plication of a reversing-arrangement to the motion or' the plateA or axle, by which the brakes are brought in contact with the wheels, in whatever direction the'car may be moving, and also in the means by which the brakes on a train of cars may be simultaneously brought int action by a chain or rope, in combination with a series of levers, bearing upon the axles, either by the plates I, or by friction-rollers, or other We disclaim everything shown and described in the application of JOSEPH STEGER for a patent on improved ear-brakes, allowed, April 9, 1868; but

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The reversing-arrangement, as herein substantially described, by which the brakes of a car may be brought into alternate action by the motion ofthe plate and axle.

2. The means, as herein substantially described of applying the brakes simultaneously upon the wheels of a series of cars by the combined operation of a connecting-rope, chain, or rod, upon a series of levers, one on each car, the levers having friction-rollers, and acting, by the yrevolution of the axles, kon the brakes, as

set forth.

BENJN TATHAM. JOSEPH STEGER. Witnesses:

W. HA'UFF,

E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

